


A Man's Wound

by Plume8now



Series: 10 Days of LawLu [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: 10 days of LawLu, Collaboration, Day 3, Devil Fruit users, Emotional Trauma, Healing, Heavy Angst, Injury, Inspired by the Nebulandia Adventure special episode, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Pain, Panic Attacks, Trust, seastone use, welcome to the void of tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 07:59:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14848832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plume8now/pseuds/Plume8now
Summary: Law and Luffy get trapped on an island where their enemy weakens them by using the effects of seastone naturally produced by the land. In a desperate attempt to retreat, Law tries to teleport themselves out of there.





	A Man's Wound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aimlys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimlys/gifts).



> For the 10 Days of LawLu 2k18, Day 3 - Healing/Injuries, Lyssa and I made a collaboration that went very well hrm. I would like to thank her for working on this, because it was a real pleasure to brainstorm together, and she would always come up with a great idea anytime I had a plot hole. Also, thanks to her I discovered the Nebulandia Adventures episode (and used Rabbit for the first time why didn't I use that before irfhdjs) and it's definitely one of my favorite One Piece movies now.  
> Thanking my beta Blue as well, who's always here for me and my terrible English :D
> 
> Please, don't read this OS if you can't handle heavy angst.

 

Both attacks hit the opponents at the very same second, projecting them on the opposite direction from each other.

The Heart Pirate fell and, swept away by the violence of the shock, collided violently with the ground. Law let out a bloody cry of pain, stifled by the deafening impact provoked.

On the other side, there was a gasp. A clear, hard, long and rough struggle to breathe. It struck Law that the smoke must have fully gotten into Luffy's lungs – especially after such a blow. Ignoring the agony emitted by every single muscles of his body, he squinted, looking for the other Captain's shadow in this thick dirt. The seastone particles were affecting his limbs like a constant burning, adding more and more pressure into his body by the second. In less than two minutes, Law knew he would end up paralysed if he didn't take action.

Luffy's shadow didn't appear. Law raised his right hand, closed his eyes, wincing at the pain awaking in his body for activating his devil fruit power.

“Room,” he barely whispered between his teeth.

Based on what just happened and their previous fights, the enemy should at least need ninety seconds to get back on his feet. It took him a few seconds to locate the choking sounds generated by Luffy's body in order to push back the seastone's effect, in vain. Everything was a matter of time now. In a quick, desperate move, he forced his power and teleported himself in the direction of the smothering sounds.

The area was completely drowned in dirt and smoke, and Law suddenly found himself practically blind. He didn't know whether it was his body reacting against the seastone or if that zone in particular was immaculate by the damn particles, but he felt like a weight suddenly dropped on his chest.

The pirate wanted to yell Luffy's name, but the first syllable died in his throat without giving it a chance. He began groping around frantically, panting, and froze when his fingers discovered the touch of a straw hat. Law immediately locked away the pain as the adrenalin rushed through his body. When he finally reached Luffy's body, he prevented himself from taking a deep breath and simply closed his eyes again, preparing himself for the next teleportation.

  


 

When Law opened his eyes, he could already tell their environment seemed much safer and breathable, despite his blurred vision – he probably succeeded in sending them in the cave he'd noticed a while back, in their first days on the island. He leaned his back against the wall and silently thanked whatever stood there before the teleportation, unable to imagine what he would have taken to try to just sit down by himself. And then, he felt something on his hand – a shirt, and patches of blood – brownish _dried_ blood between his fingers, covering some of the letters of the tattooed word 'D E A T H'. His heartbeat increased.

It wasn't his.

There was a splash of blood by his mouth, as if he tried to spit it out to keep from choking on it but passed out besides it. And it was _dry_. That only meant one thing – he had also passed out after the teleportation.

The Straw Hat Captain had ceased to cough his lungs out, probably because of the utter pain it developed, and his breathing was still greatly irregular and now sizzling. His whole body was trembling, sweating, but cold. Well-aware of the gravity of the situation, Law studied the state of his ally. He concluded in horror that most damages were internal and had destroyed several vital organs– he was speechless, it was a complete chaotic, bloody mess. It was only a miracle the pirate was still breathing right now.

He didn't have any tools on him, just his fingers, his knowledge and the Ope Ope no Mi's abilities.

“Luffy,” Law heard himself say in a broken voice that seemed to be a dehydrated old man's. “Luffy, can you hear me?”

The other Captain blinked, and his empty eyes shattered Law's heart. This situation brutally reminded him of how powerless he'd been regarding Corazon's wounds – except that now, it was his boyfriend, and even though he'd learned a lot about his new skills, Luffy's wounds were much more complicated and delicate to treat. Still, he tried to fix at least one or two things to allow him to breathe better.

And then, Luffy grinned. He just, grinned.

“What... are you being grumpy... about, Torao...?”

Law forced a smile back, not giving him the satisfaction of being right.

“My ally acted stupidly again.”

“I had... your back.”

Fucking moron. He's survived for thirty years alone so far. As if guessing his thoughts, Luffy added: “You're not- alone anymore.”

He coughed and some more blood appeared on Law's hand. The Pirate Heart brought Luffy back against his chest, slightly rocking him unconsciously. It was time, wasn't it? He always knew, if the time had to come, he would do it. He would use it. Because he had such a power, he knew if it wasn't for Luffy, it wouldn't be for anyone. And he knew – he had every right to do it now, because Luffy was still running for the Pirate King's seat. And there wasn't a single goddamn day he wasn't stating he'd be the next Pirate King. There was no way on Earth he'd be the reason of his failure.

“ _Room_.”

Luffy frowned and started to fuss, but Law softly smiled. His hand started glowing in a strange blue light that, somehow, felt warm. Luffy's body instantly calmed down and the Straw Hat's eyes were animated by thousands and thousands of questions as he watched Law's hand touching his bare chest – the place of his heart.

“What-”

Law sketched a smile at the aborted sentence.

 _What are you doing_?

“I'm gonna fix you, Luffy-ya.”

Luffy's gaze went icy as he grabbed Law's hand. There was no strength whatsoever in this move. It felt almost like a ghost's touch. By the way his body had tensed itself, and the look in Luffy's eyes, Law had guessed the act was supposed to be an intimidating one – that move one does to reject someone.

“Your skin-”

Law looked down on his own hand, and realised how pale it had become. As if his body was drained from all of its blood.

It was fine.

And then, an indescribable pain hit him. Like a bullet, the utter pain shook his entire being, striking his head first. He suddenly felt his consciousness slipping away. With a grunt of agony, he forced himself to focus on Luffy – Luffy was all that mattered. Was the pain supposed to be that strong? Couldn't it just- go away, peacefully? Was death as cruel as life? He had no idea. To his knowledge, no one tried this technique before. Would the Ope Ope no Mi devil fruit grow again after this? Who knew? People like _Doflamingo_ would definitely try to get their hand on it, again. Hopefully, it won't. It would make sense, since it would somehow remain alive within Luffy's body, right?

Law's hand slowly started getting into Luffy's chest as if the Captain's body was an immaterial projection.

“Torao- that's no use,” Luffy's voice trembled between two heavy inspirations.

But Law didn't listen.

“Stop this,” Luffy murmured. “ _Law_ , stop this.”

“You don't understand, I-”

His hand, suddenly rejected the manipulation as if it was alive, and, astonished by the explosive shock, projected Law against the wall. His head hurt it, awaking this atrocious headache he'd felt back up there, when they were surrounded by the seastone smoke... Luffy had rolled not very far from him.

“ _LUFFY_!”

The Straw Hat Pirate tried to stand up but ultimately fell in a growl of frustration. In Law's brain, it was chaos. The information and suppositions of what just happened kept coming to him with no control over them. Luffy was alive. Luffy was hurt. Luffy was dying. He tried to heal him, it didn't work. He executed the 'Perennial Youth Operation' on him. Why was he still alive? Did it fail? Was Luffy better? … No, clearly, his state couldn't be any worse. No, _he failed_. It got rejected. What did he do wrong? What didn't go right? Wasn't he strong enough? That couldn't be it – he'd been mastering this devil fruit for so long now, how- that must be a real sick twist of fate, to obtain the devil fruit that could “cure the impossible”, and yet, have it in his possession and fail to save his loved ones _twice_.

No, no way. He wasn't buying this shit. Luffy wouldn't die, not on his watch. He was too strong to lose – he couldn't give in to death. He was a D. He had a promise to keep. He was supposed to change the world. It was all just starting. There was so much left to do. He had to make sure he'd stay alive. _He needed him to stay alive._

“Luffy, are you okay?”

A long growl answered him.

And so Trafalgar Law dragged himself to the motionless body, in this abandoned cave coloured by the shadows of death. The Surgeon of Death didn't notice the shredded skin of his forearms, nor the tears of dirt and blood running down his cheeks. It wasn't the first time he couldn't feel anything anymore. Only the smell of Flevance's corpses were missing.

The very moment he reached Luffy's position, he tried again.

“It won't work,” Luffy said.

As to confirm his prediction, nothing came out.

“Torao, it's okay.”

His voice was a bit joyful. That drove Law crazy.

He tried again. And again. And again. And his power would only create a barely visible circle before dying instantly, again and again. And, blind to his own exhaustion, Law wouldn't stop, let it be the last thing he would do. Soon, his mouth would keep repeating the same words over and over again as if it were a spell.

“I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, it doesn't make sense, it should be working, it should be working- why isn't it working?” His voice was rising high and low in distress, breaking down constantly so badly he would just move his lips without a sound for a few seconds.

Luffy's hand touched his face and reconnected him back to reality. Law turned to his lover and discovered a pale face, and it suddenly felt like it was death itself he was trying to bring back to life. His eyes were livelier than before, thanks to the healing he operated on his lungs, but that clearly couldn't do the trick. There were no tricks in medicine.

“This is going to be fine,” he gently told him.

Monkey D. Luffy grinned. His grin was slightly less bigger than usual.

“You don't have the right to leave, just like this.”

“Don't tell me what to do,” Luffy pouted, and that sounded so ridiculous, right there, right now...

He took the Surgeon of Death's bloody hands into his, twitching a smile.

“Stop hurting yourself, it's on me.”

“Don't talk like that,” Law murmured.

The younger pirate chuckled, a real, genuine chuckle, one of those that made Law's heart melt though he'd rather die than admit it. Luffy softly put his most precious treasure in Law's hands with the last of his strength.

“Shishi, sorry I died.”

It's like all of his pain had been removed from his body to crush Law's. That man's will was unbreakable, and yet-

Something inside of him was slowly breaking.

“I-”

“Don't. Don't you dare, Mugiwara-ya, not now, not ever-”

“I love you, Law.”

“- please don't, dON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT TO ME NOW.”

Luffy didn't reply. His only answer was that smile, that smile full of arrogance, of determination, this smile full of life. That smile that will haunt him forever.

Law checked his pulse, shaking, struggling with his own unstable breathing, overwhelmed by his emotions. Out of despair, he activated his room a countless number of times again until he passed out. The Straw Hat Captain's body was still warm when he regained consciousness, and he rocked his lover, talking to him, swearing, softening, insulting and loving him as much as his words could express his feelings.

God knows how long both Captains stayed in this cave. Time was unreal.

Law took his own hat, and put it on the head of the man who had become Pirate King, in another life. Slowly, like a phantom breaking his way back into life, he stood up. The Surgeon of Death picked up the straw hat resting on Luffy's chest, a bit tattered from battle, and whose colour had turned into brownish dried blood – most of it was probably his. He placed it on his head, his face emotionless.

If Luffy couldn't keep his promise to 'Red-Haired' Shanks anymore, then Trafalgar D. Water Law would do it for him. And the Surgeon of Death would be damned to fail Luffy's will.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are greatly encouraged, if you feel like screaming please do because I am. Also, feedbacks are always great especially because I always have to force myself to write to end my stories frdjksods  
> Thank you for reading <3  
> You can find @Tentaclemage's art on Tumblr (and Instagram) following [this link](https://tentaclemage.tumblr.com/post/174577399135/my-10-days-of-lawlu-day-3-healinginjured-as-part)  
> She's a great artist ((and she takes commissions ;D)), and she also writes (dedicating my OS to her as a gift)~  
> 


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